Tag: Paper Pieces

I Lost My Mojo For This Quilt

Turkey Tracks: September 12, 2021

I Lost My Mojo For This Quilt

I started this EPP project in 2018.

It’s the “36-Ring Circus” designed by Joanne Lewis. The pattern and template kit are at Paper Pieces.

I am using Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabrics for the centers, pastel solids for the rings, and darker solids for the rest.

I now have three rows done after three years—three more to go.

But it seems I put off working on it to do other handwork on a regular basis.

It is an elegant pattern, for sure.

But it is hard and in many ways, seems tedious to me. Sewing the rings to the centers is…hard. I’ve found taping from the front and using a flat stitch on the back helps.

I have all the solid pieces cut and glued, so I will finish it someday.

I hope it doesn’t take another three years—one for each row!!!

I did organize all the centers for the 4th row, so that’s something. The first center is done, but not the rings.

Meanwhile, I seem to be more than a little interested in wedding ring quilt versions.

Here’s the funky one whose top is now done: from Freddie Moran and Gwen Marston’s book FREDDY AND GWEN COLLABORATE AGAIN: FRIENDS.

And Tara Faughnan’s Wedding Ring Quilt:

I’m ready to start sewing together the last and final row.

Turkey Tracks: The “36-Ring Circus” EPP Project

Turkey Tracks:  February 24, 2019

The “36-Ring Circus” EPP Project

…is taking shape.

There are six rows, six rings to a row.  I’m working on the last ring of row one now.

This project is the hardest I’ve done as sewing the rings to the center block is challenging.  There is a learning curve here, but I am getting faster now, which is also probably driven by seeing enough of it now to think I like it.

So far, the centers are Cotton+Steel, but I’m not sure I’ll keep to those fabrics.  The outer rings are pastels, and the inner connecting pieces are solid darks.  The quilt is designed by Joanne Lewis, and the pattern is at Paper Pieces.  I did NOT buy all the templates for the centers, just the ones for the center points and the rings.  It’s easy enough to just trace what I need for the centers from the paper templates and add an eyeballed seam allowance.

 

A few years back I discovered that this old lap top “table” platform works great for EPP projects.  With pins and clips, I can keep everything together, from my thimble, my thread, to my scissors.  PLUS, the high width of one side is perfect in terms of getting the project up high enough from my lap so that I am not hunching over and making my neck sore.  I usually sew this project at night in front of the tv, so I prop the top edge against a tv table edge, and that makes the height-from-lap distance really perfect.